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Top 10 Tech This Week [PICS]

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Top 10 Tech This Week (8/19/2012)

1. Netflix Post-Play Offers Continuous Playback

Netflix just added a nifty new feature to its playback interface that will be especially popular with those of us who like to watch whole seasons of TV series in one sitting. Just as a program is ending, during its credit roll, a box pops up on the bottom right that cues up the next episode, ready for your immediate viewing.

This would've come in handy for our recent Mad Men marathon, where we watched four seasons' worth of the series on Netflix in a few days, completely saturating ourselves with Don Draper, Roger Sterling and the gang. It wasn't that big of a deal finding the next show in the series, but it would've been nice to have the next show in the series pop right up. Great idea, Netflix.

2. Apple to Redesign TV Watching?

While we're on the subject of watching TV, Apple wants to completely reconfigure the way we do that, too. The company aims to "erase distinction between live and on-demand" video, according to The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed sources.

Apple's trying to convince cable purveyors to allow it to store programs in the cloud for on-demand viewing, offered live as the shows are broadcast. At the same time, Apple could theoretically offer back catalogs of any show that's ever been created, making it available for immediate viewing.

It's no big deal for Apple to create the technology to deliver live cable TV shows. Rather than a tech story, this is a negotiation story, more akin to Steve Jobs's arm-twisting of the record companies, convincing them to offer their content on iTunes. It turned out to be profitable for all.

But now that Steve Jobs is gone, will Apple be able to convince TV networks and content creators to offer all their programs on Apple TV? I think yes, but it might not happen right away. The TV and movie world's too much in love with its current business model to just let it go. I think this idea, or one like it, will eventually destroy the cable industry as we know it.

When those content owners do decide to stop standing in the way of technological progress, the little Apple TV box, scarcely larger than a hockey puck, might be all you need to watch whatever programs you want.

3. Black & Decker Motion-Activated Screwdriver

As if an electric screwdriver wasn't easy enough to use, now Black & Decker pulls the gyro screwdriver out of its hat, making it even simpler to effortlessly drive screws just like the macho men do.

3. Black & Decker Motion-Activated Screwdriver

Once you set the bit against the screw, a quarter turn of the wrist gets the bit spinning in the proper direction. Turn your wrist a bit more and the drill's speed is increased. Twist it to the left, and it's reversed.

3. Black & Decker Motion-Activated Screwdriver

Your wrist movements are sensed by the internal gyroscope, keeping track of where the screwdriver is in space.

3. Black & Decker Motion-Activated Screwdriver

This nifty little power tool will do your bidding for a mere $39.97, available in October.

4. Invisible Helmet

Who wants to wear a dorky helmet when you can put on Hövding, a chic-looking collar that instantly turns into a bicycle helmet at the slightest hint of trouble?

It works like an airbag, popping out from its stylish confines in a mere 0.1 seconds to create an even dorkier-looking helmet that's sure to protect your noggin from occupying the same space as various brick walls and blunt objects.

I would suggest making this technology available at closing time at bars, protecting all those from falling down or other unfortunate mishaps.

5. High-Tech Dog Collar

Of course, you'd never leave your dog in a hot car, but if somehow you spaced out and forgot about your dog waiting for you in there, or if your dog somehow got into a situation that's too hot to survive, this “Dog Caller” collar will text you if your pooch needs help.

5. High-Tech Dog Collar

The device is triggered if the temperature exceeds 80°F, or 26.7°C.

Adman and inventor Aaron Starkman created the device because of a mistake he made, thinking he was only going to leave his dog in the car for a minute, but then that stretched into 20 minutes. When Starkman returned, his dog was suffering from heat exhaustion.

5. High-Tech Dog Collar

The dog survived, but that was too close for comfort, and Starkman came up with this idea, which his company developed along with the Toronto Humane Society.

6. Sub Morning Alarm

You won't get away with hitting that snooze button all morning anymore with Sub Morning, a design concept for an alarm clock that won't stop honking at you until you've submerged it in water.

The idea is, the act of running enough water to submerge the submarine is probably long enough for you to wake up with little danger of flopping back into bed and accidentally falling back to sleep.

6. Sub Morning Alarm

An entry in the 2012 iF Design Talents competition, so far, Sub Morning is in the idea stage. I'd like to see it join the growing stable of novelty alarm clocks that require some absurd action to get them to shut up.

7. Airpod Air-Powered Car

7. Airpod Air-Powered Car

You fill it up with compressed air at pump like this, and while you drive, it also gathers and compresses air with an electric motor.

7. Airpod Air-Powered Car

This is the only car I've ever seen where you enter through a door that's also the windshield.

7. Airpod Air-Powered Car

Three people fit snugly inside this diminutive conveyance.

7. Airpod Air-Powered Car

Its controls look more like something for an Xbox than a car. Expected to sell for less than $10,000, the car's release date is unannounced so far, with Tata only saying it will be available "over the coming years."

8. World's First Voice-Command Watch

Attention Dick Tracy fans: Your watch has arrived. Thanks to Bluetooth, the Martian Watch lets you leave your phone in your pocket or purse. Communicating with any Bluetooth-compatible smartphone, it wirelessly sends and receive voice commands, places and answers calls and sends and receives text messages right on your wrist. It can also vibrate to notify you of a call, and then you can accept that call by pressing a button on the watch, or decline it by shaking your wrist.

8. World's First Voice-Command Watch

Here's the Passport design, which, as you can see, is expected to retail for $229.

8. World's First Voice-Command Watch

The Victory design will be $199.

8. World's First Voice-Command Watch

The G2G design: Check out the lovely colors that will be available.

8. World's First Voice-Command Watch

For comparison, here are the three designs side-by-side.

8. World's First Voice-Command Watch

With the thinnest model measuring 12.8mm thick, this is not the thinnest watch in the world. but then, Dick Tracy's watch was in all that thin, either.

9. iPad Telepresence Robot

This is not the first telepresence robot, but Double Robotics from Mountain View has created the most elegant example of the breed yet.

9. iPad Telepresence Robot

It's a set of electric-powered wheels with a stalk, and you place an iPad at the top. Then, using its clever software, you can use your iPad to control it from afar, showing your face on its screen and showing you everything it sees.

9. iPad Telepresence Robot

Finally, you can get a close look at those pictures on the wall at your workplace -- no plane tickets required.

9. iPad Telepresence Robot

Here's one rolling across the hall to visit an engineer.

9. iPad Telepresence Robot

Here, the engineer carries on a natural conversation with his far-flung co-worker.

Telecommuters are going to enjoy roaming around the office with this device, especially if they can dig up the $2,000 required to preorder such a thing. It goes on sale next year, when its retail price will be $2,500, but people who pre-ordered one will start receiving their units by the end of this year.

10. McLaren X-1

In the works for three years, this unusual McLaren X-1 was custom-built by McLaren for an anonymous superrich guy.

As is the case with most concept vehicles, there are those lovely gullwing doors again. Most of the car's body is made of ultra-light carbon fiber, and it cranks out 617 hp, qualifying it for supercar status.

10. McLaren X-1

From the front, this is a fierce-looking mean machine, isn't it?

10. McLaren X-1

Notice how its rear wheels are covered in this photo...

10. McLaren X-1

...and here you can see how the carbon fiber wheel skirts can be lifted up for easy accessibility.

10. McLaren X-1

This quirky vehicle looks like it's going fast, even when it's standing still.

10. McLaren X-1

Check out that interior, finished in "McLaren Red" Nappa leather, nickel-plated switches and plenty of carbon fiber trim, woven in with titanium.

So what would it cost to build such a gorgeous thing? Nobody is saying anything specific -- only that it ran "well into the millions of dollars." This is probably the most expensive supercar we've ever shown you on Top 10 Tech.

Technology made even more great strides this week, with companies figuring out ways to change the way you watch TV, use power tools, and wake up in the morning. Heck, someone's even figured out how to make a car run on thin air.

Meanwhile, rumors roiled about Apple revolutionizing the world of cable television, an industry that's certainly ripe for big changes in the coming years.

That's just a small taste of what we have for you in our comprehensive report of the Top 10 Tech This Week.

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